1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mine cribbing system, more particularly, to a mine support column having a plurality of interconnected sides.
2. Background Information
Mine cribbing systems, also known as packs, are widely used in underground mines to provide yielding support for the mine roof, or the like. Such cribbing is conventionally formed from lengths of wood, also referred to as blocks, logs or chalks. The wood is arranged in a series of overlaying layers to form a column extending from the floor of the mine to the supported roof, or other supported structure. In order to avoid slippage due to vertical loading, individual pieces of the cribbing have been notched to interlock individual blocks with the overlaying blocks of adjacent sides. U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,547 to Reinmann et al. ("the Reinmann patent") further modifies the overlying arrangement of the prior art. The Reinmann patent provides a cribbing column in which the load from a block in each layer can be transferred to the block immediately below along the entire length of the block, rather than only at the crossing points of blocks of adjacent sides. The cribbing column of the Reinmann patent has the disadvantage of being limited to a four-sided column. The four-sided column arrangement does not minimize the amount of wood necessary for constructing a cribbing system.
The object of the present invention is to provide a cribbing system which is formed of a column of interconnected sides which allows the loads to be transferred from each block to an underlying block along the entire length of the block and which avoids the disadvantages of the above cited prior art.